Cashmere, faux fur and more of this season's must-haves can be found at Los Angeles boutiques Anat B, Lady, Paper Doll, Sequin and Suo.

H&M and other big-box retailers are obvious go-tos for fast fashion. But they aren't the only stores in town for shoppers seeking that little black dress in lace or a cashmere sweater that won't break the bank. Many of L.A.'s independent boutiques offer a curated selection of dresses, sweaters, pants and accessories in a more intimate environment with attentive service.

Below we look at five of those boutiques, with current styles and prices that frequently average less than $100.

LADY

The owner of Lady in Eagle Rock refers to her shop's arrangements of print dresses, tunics and other garments as "closets," rather than racks. The long, open closet that runs along one side of the store is an idea that was inspired by the years she worked as an assistant manager at Trina Turk on 3rd Street before deciding to strike out on her own.

"I wanted it to have a small, intimate boutique feel without the high price tag, and I wanted it to feel like you were in someone's closet," said Camille De Soto, who opened her shop 41/2 years ago along a busy stretch of Eagle Rock Boulevard.

With the shop's chocolate brown walls and cabinetry, Lady has the chic and warm ambience of a well-decorated home.

Each of its "closets" is its own color statement. Fabrics with patterns that are predominantly gray are paired with complementary colors such as black and warm brown with pops of red, green and blue. Burnt orange dresses are shown with brown sweaters and tan boots. Above the hangers of cowl-neck dresses and pajama jackets are pleather handbags that sell for less than $80. Anchored below are eco-suede heels and boots, priced for less than $50.

Like many small-boutique owners, De Soto doesn't follow trends slavishly.

"I just go with what I love and what I think women will like that's fun, trendy, yet timeless and a little bit vintage, a little bit modern," said De Soto, whose personal style is representative of what she sells. On a recent Tuesday, she was wearing a pair of faux suede ankle boots and an equestrian print navy blue dress topped with a striped red sweater from Old Navy. "I like mixing and matching vintage and new and finding stuff that looks more expensive than it actually is."

For fall, that includes a green, mosaic-print dress with dolman sleeves by her most popular brand, Viereck, for $118; a feminine T-shirt with a longer cut and wider sleeve from the brand LA Made, for $52; and Blank brand skinny jeans for $78. Many of the store's pieces are designed by Angelenos and cost less than $100, De Soto said, with the exception of some dress lines that go as high as $150.

Sara Schifrin has dressed clients for the Emmys with some of the sleek and chic offerings in her Pico Boulevard boutique. But Schifrin prefers to dress the "everyday Southern California woman," she said.

Cashmere cardigans, skinny jeans, handbags and jewelry are among the top sellers at this elegant and airy shop where prices average $60 per item and rarely exceed $300, a price Schifrin describes as the "psychological cutoff. After $300, you start thinking, 'Five hundred dollars, it's half of a thousand.'"

Though her cashmeres are, admittedly, on the pricier side, selling for $220 to $368 a pop, Schifrin said cashmere prices have become a lot more reasonable than they once were. Her cashmeres are made by the L.A. brands Velvet and 360 Cashmere. Her handbags are mostly vegan leather, and sell for less than $50, including a leaf green clutch for $28 and a rust-colored purse for $42. Sequin has been in business for 10 years. It started in Santa Monica but moved to its present location in early 2009. Schifrin's history as a clothier dates back to the '80s, when she ran a similar boutique on Montana Avenue called Sara. She said she still has some of the same customers — even some of the same employees — from her earliest days as a boutique owner.

With its high beam ceilings, sisal carpet and chandeliers, Sequin's décor is indicative of an aesthetic that's similar to stores like Anthropologie, and it sells well-made pieces and trendy items — up to a point. A mega-trend like skinny jeans is represented with the L.A. line, Just USA, which Sequin sells for $58 per pair. For a flash-in-the-pan trend like hair feathers, however, shoppers will need to go elsewhere.

"I like the reality of how people are spending money these days, finding cheap buys instead of feeling like they need to spend a lot of money to feel happy or look good," said Schifrin, 56, adding that she wears the same thing every day: black leggings topped with a black tank under a sheer, black, long-sleeved T-shirt. Sequin sells the tank, T-shirt and leggings for $12, $28 and $32, respectively. "I think it's more realistic. It's nice to see people embrace that."